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S REFERENCE INFORMATION CO 

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Index & Table of Contents to WSR always available for free download from BBS, 
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WORLD SCANNER REPORT 

A Journal of MIF-UHF Radio Technology «fi Engineering 

EMMuawtfjt 

COMMtronics Engineering - PO Box 262478 - San Diego, CA 92196 
Publisher/Editor: Bill Cheek a.k.a. "Doctor Rigormortis" 
Administrator: Cindy Cheek a.k.a. " Sunbunny ” 

Copyright €>1991-96 <AU rights reserved* ISSN 1061-9240 
Volume 5 Number 9 $5.00 


conversation piece with which to impress 
family, friends, and neighbors, to a 
mother of a listening device as a part of 
your perimeter security. 


the large LM-317T other than it is 
commonly available, even from Radio 
Shack, The tiny LM-317LZ is available 
from DigiKey and other parts houses. 


SUPERSNOOP 
SURVEILLANCE DEVICE 

~ The Saga Concludes ~ 


The last three issues of the WSR softened 
you up for this month’s exciting 
conclusion to an integrated, all-purpose 
RF device that can be used for anything 
from a baby monitor, to a listening 
device, to a high quality surveillance bug 
for authorized agencies and operatives. 

V5N6 gave you the SuperSnoop 
Microphone; V5N7 presented the 
SuperSnoop Amplifier; and V5N8 
offered the SuperSnoop Transmitter; 
each in useful, standalone circuits that 
could find ready uses for many purposes. 

Comes now the integrated version of all 
three super circuits into a unitary system 
that can be nothing more than a “toy” or 


The last three issues of the WSR gave all 
the gory details of each circuit, so I’ll 
dispense with repetition here, and 
instead get right into the meat ‘n taters 
of the below circuit and explain the 
features and differences that may exist 
from the individual circuits. 

THE POWER SUPPLY stands out from 
the three previous projects. Each of the 3 
sections in the below circuit are designed 
to run from regulated+8.5 volts provided 
from U-2, an adjustable 3-port regulator. 
(Some parts values will differ from the 
last 3-mos because of the 8-volt design .) 
U2 can be the common LM-317T (large 
TO-220) or the less common LM-317LZ 
(tiny TO-92). There is no real need for 


The power supply is designed to accept a 
range of input DC and to regulate the 
output to a fixed, stable +8.5 volts. 

Input power can be as simple as two 9-v 
batteries wired in series as shown, for 
18v input, or, via J-3 , you can connect a 
DC Adapter or power supply of any level 
from 11 to 24 volts or so. Not critical! 
Current drain is about 15-25 mA. The 
two 9v batteries permit extended portable 
operation, since U2 will provide a 
smooth 8.5v output until the batteries 
decay to about 5.5v each, or effectively 
dead! Cool, huh? J3 is a switched Vg" 
phone jack that auto-disconnects the 
internal batteries when an external DC 
supply is plugged into J3._ 


HIGH QUALITY MULTI-PURPOSE SURVEILLANCE DEVICE 



1/16/96-2:01 PM - Page 1 

















SURVEILLANCE 

PARTS LIST 

Ckt 


Radio Shack or 

Svm 

V alue/Desc rint ion 

Other Cat No 

R1 

4.75-k, PMF 

TRW RN-60D-4751 


Subst: 

RS 271-1330 

R2 

49.1-k, PMF 

TRW RN-60D-4912 


Subst: 

RS 271-1342 

R3 

3.92-k. PMF 

TRW RN-60D-3921 


Subst: 

RS 271-029 

R4 

100 PMF 

TRW RN-60D-1000 


Subst: 

RS 271-1311 

R5a 

6.81-k PMF 

TRW RN-60D-6811 


See Note below Subst: 

RS 271-13371 

R5b 

6.19-k. PMF 

TRW RN-60D-6191 


See Note below Subst: 

RS 271-0311 

R6 

10 olim. carbon. 

RS 271-1301 

R7 

10k. PMF 

TRW RN-60D-1002 


Subst: 

RS 271-1335 

R8 

10k, PMF 

TRW RN-60D-1002 

R9 

10k, PMF 

TRW RN-60D-1002 

RIO 

221-ohm 

TRW RN-60D-2210 


Subst: 

RS 271-1313 

Rll 

220-ohm carbon 

RS 271-1313 

VR-1 

100-k trim-pot 

RS 271-284 

VR-2 

10-k trim-pot, precision RS 271-343 

VR-3 

1-k trim-pot, precision 

RS 271-342 

VR-4 

5-k trim-pot 

RS 271-281 

Cl 

22-uF/16vdc. tant 

RS 272-1437 

C2 

22-uF/16vdc, tant. 

RS 272-1437 

C3 

220-uF/35vdc elec 

RS 272-1017 

C4 

.OOluF ceramic disk 

RS 272-126 

C5 

100-uF/10vdc. tant. 

surplus store 


Subst: 

RS 272-1016 

C6 

220-pF. ceramic 

RS 272-124 

C7 

470-uF/35vdc elec 

RS 272-1018 

C8 

0.1-uF/50vdc ceram 

RS 272-135 

C9 

.02-uF/50vdc 

RS 272-1066 

CIO 

100-pF ceramic 

RS 272-123 

Cll 

l-uF/35vdc tant. 

RS 272-1434 

C12 

22-uF/16vdc tant. 

RS 272-1437 

C13 

.05-uF ceramic 

RS 272-134 

C14 

220-uF/35vdc elec 

RS 272-1017 

C15 

100-pF ceramic 

RS 272-123 

C16 

100-pF ceramic 

RS 272-123 

C17 

.01-uF ceramic 

RS 272-131 

C18 

.01-uF ceramic 

RS 272-131 

C19 

0.1-uF/50vdc, ceram 

RS 272-135 

C20 

470-pF ceramic 

RS 272-125 

C21 

.001-uF ceramic 

RS 272-126 

C22 

l-uF/35vdc tant. 

RS 272-1434 

C23 

l-uF/35vd 

RS 272-1434 

Ql 

NPN, low noise 

2N3904 or ECG-199 

Q2 

NPN. gen purpose 

2N2222A 


Subst: 

RS 276-2009 

U1 

LM-386 Audio Amp 

RS 276-1731 


Subst: 

ECG-823 

U2 

LM-317T Volt Reg 

RS 276-1778 


Subst: 

ECG-956 

Dl 

Varactor Diode 

See WSR V5N8 

131.2 

9-v Battery, Alkaline 

RS 23-553 

J1 

RCA Phono jack 

RS 274-346 

J2 

Fern BNC chass jack 

RS 278-105 

J3 

V«" Phone jack 

RS 274-246 

J4 

*/«" Phone jack 

RS 274-246 

Mic 

Electret Mike Elem 

RS 270-090 

SI 

DPDT Switch 

choice 

S2 

SPST Switch 

choice 

XI 

Crvstal. CB Synth 23-50 MHz - HC-11/u 


PCB Breadboard 

RS 276-1395 


Metal Enclosure 

RS 270-251 


Battery Connectors 

RS 270-325 


TO-220 Mtg Hdwe 

RS 276-1373 


Heat sink comp 

RS 276-1372 


Battery hold down 

Misc nuts, bolts, hdwe. 

RS 270-326 


Antenna 

(fabricated) 


Note: Use two 15-K resistors in parallel to substitute 
R-5A. and use a 5.6-k resistor to substitute R-5B 


(continued from Page 1) 

Any other differences in this integrated 
system fall into one of three categories: 

1. to accommodate +8v power 

2. to accommodate convenience 

3. to enhance performance 

For example, the SuperSnoop Mic of 
V5N6 was designed for a nominal 3v, 
but 8.5v requires different values of some 
parts. In a word, the SuperSnoop Mic of 
V5N6 was redesigned for the needs of 
this month’s integrated project. 

There are other differences in the 
transmitter circuit. Note trimmers VR2 
and VR3 that replace the 4.7-k & 330-Q 
resistors in last months transmitter? You 
can go with the fixed resistors, if you 
like, but the trimmers will allow you to 
optimize the transmitter for best overall 
operation. VR3 optimizes output power 
while VR-2 optimizes the stability of the 
oscillator. Once the trimmers are set, 
you can measure them and use fixed 
resistors close to the measured values. 

The Audio Power Amplifier isn’t 
appreciably changed from V5N7 , but you 
will note R7 and R8 this month that 
require a little explaining. You see, U1 
puts out a whopper of an audio signal to 
“deviate” or modulate the oscillator by 
varying the bias on Varactor diode, Dl. 
But this is an AC signal that can vary 
from nearly 0 to 3 or 4 volts, RMS, and 6 
to 8v. peak-to-peak. The varactor diode 
might get terribly confused. 

R7 and R8 (10-k ea), divide +8.5v in half 
to apply a DC bias of 4.25v to the 
cathode of Dl. In effect, this sets a 
baseline of 4.25v above and below which 
the AC audio modulating signal can vary 
the diode bias, and thus, the frequency of 
the oscillator for Frequency Modulation! 

C15 is a small capacitor that filters noise 
from the modulating signal. LI allows 
the modulating signal to pass through, 
but blocks RF from getting out. L2 is 
only a test point to which a DC or AC 
voltmeter can be attached to monitor the 
bias or signal voltage. Without L2, the 
touch of a meter could stop oscillations 
or throw the oscillator off frequency. 

C8 and C19 are noise filters for the DC 
power line. C4, C9. and CIO are noise 
filters for the audio section. C7, C22, 
and C23 are brute DC power line filters. 

J4, a switched phone jack, is offered to 
allow easy injection of preamplified 
external signals. You could “pipe” in 


line-level audio from some other source, 
thereby bypassing the built-in mic and 
preamp. This is a convenience feature, 
and if not desired, leave it out, and 
eliminate C2b. Connect the (-) side of 
C2a directly to the top of VR1. 

Likewise, J1 and SI are convenience 
features to allow easy connection of an 
external mic or other low-level audio 
signal. Leave them out if you want. 

R5a, R5b, and C5 are for the purpose of 
dividing and filtering the +8.5v line to 
produce an idealized DC power for the 
electret mic element. These components 
are fairly critical for optimal operation 
and probably should not be changed. If 
you use a different mic element, then the 
circuit might need to be altered. You 
could experiment with the following 
circuit to determine an ideal combo: 

Wire two 10-k trim pots as shown to the 
right, and a 
capacitor between 
them. Sub tills 
circuit for R5a, 

R5b, and C5. 

Experiment with 
settings of the trim 
pots until ideal 
settings are found. 

Start with each pot 

set to about 6-kQ 
and go from there. 

When an ideal 
combination is 
found, measure the pots and sub fixed 
PMF resistors for the measured values. 

CRITICAL STUFF: Well, nothing in 
the SuperSnooper is terribly critical, 
with exception of LI, L2, and the electret 
mic circuit. But, the fine razor \s edge of 
quality is dependent on the use of the 
right kinds of parts, especially precision 
metal film (PMF) resistors and tantalum 
capacitors where specified. In this light. 
Dl, Ql, and XI are also fairly important. 
Review the last three back issues for 
details on these components. 

WRAPPING IT UP: The parts list was 
made up in 1987 when I designed this 
circuit, and revised in 1990. Some of the 
Radio Shack part numbers might not be 
valid now, but store personnel can guide 
you to the correct replacements. 1 
verified the most important of the bunch, 
though. Construct this baby as small or 
as large as you like, but don’t get into 
trouble with the dem thing, ok? Tins 

sucker works.goooood! Maybe too good. © 



and C1/C4 


1/16/96-2.01 i'M~ The “World Scanner Report” © 1991-96; Volume 5, No 9; Page 2 






UPGRADE LINKALL 
DISPLAY PROJECT 


By William Manganaro 

Designer ofLinkAll series memory controllers 

A LITTLE BACKGROUND 



used to and when 
electronic systems 


Every now and then I 
like to sit down at the 
computer and write 
about things I think 
would be practical and 
useful to the electronics 
and scanner hobbyist. I 
don't write as much as I 
I do it's usually about 
relating to amateur 


rocketry. That's a whole different story. 


Anyway, I guess I am sort of the Howard 
Hughes of electronics in a sense that I 
usually keep things to myself and nobody can 
figure out exactly what it is I do. Well what 
the heck! I guess I will break character here 
and share with you a hardware upgrade that 
is simple to build and will make your life 
easier while scanning the airwaves. 


I am talking about an upgrade for the 
LINKALL display. What the heck’s that, you 
ask? The LINKALL is a small easy to install 
memory controller board that makes 
Extended Memory in the PRO-2004/5/6 and 
maybe other scanners, much easier to use 
and manage. 


ED: See V2N7, V3N6, and V3N7 for past 
articles and information about LINKALL. If 
you installed my 6,400-ch or 25,600-ch 
Extended Memory Mods in your PRO- 
2004/5/6 or PRO-2035/2042. the LINKALL 
might be just for you! 


My buddy, Mark Persson, and myself 
developed it because we felt there was a 
need for it in the scanner community and we 
wanted to fill that void. 


Those who own a LINKALL of any type can 
benefit from this upgrade. LINKALL uses a 
bank of LED's to indicate memory block 
number and status information. The binary 
format displayed on the LED's is simple and 
effective, not to mention space efficient, but 
the fact of the matter is that binary can be 
confusing, especially if you have a 6 bit 
LINKALL. Now you can replace these block 
number LED's with a digital display that 
indicates the block number in a plain easy to 
read decimal format. 


There are 4 versions of LINKALL. The first is 
the original 4 bit design. The second is a 
modified 4 bit design made into a 6 bit 
design. The third and fourth designs are the 
new LINKALL Models 4 and 6 which have all 


the features of the first two with added 
functions. Models 4 and 6 also feature a 
highly integrated design in contrast to the 
older 13 chip designs. This upgrade is 
compatible with all LINKALLs. 

Before we get into details of how to build or 
install the display, lets get into a few details 
of the circuit itself and its operation. 

CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION: Please refer to 
the schematic as we go through the various 
circuits. There is not much to this so it should 
go quick. Lets talk about the address inputs 
A0-A5. The LINKALL uses these address 
lines to sort of break up the extended 
memory in your scanner into smaller usable 
blocks of memory. The A0-A5 lines from the 
LINKALL control or address the most 
significant bits of the extended SRAM 
memory chip in your scanner. Each discrete 
address value from the LINKALL is called a 
Block and is normally displayed using a bank 
of 4 or 6 LED's depending on your model. 

There are 400 channels associated with each 
Block value. The 4 bit LINKALL controls 16 
Extended Memory Blocks and the 6 bit 
version controls 64 Blocks. A Block address 
from LINKALL enters EPROM U1. This 
EPROM is the heart of the circuit and acts as 
a digital code converter. It converts the raw 
binary data into BCD (B)inary (C)oded 
(D)ecimal. Code conversion is accomplished 
using a lookup table method. 

The address input to U1 is used to point to a 
particular memory location in the EPROM 
that holds the 2 digit BCD equivalent of the 
address value. The BCD format from U1 
representing the raw binary data value uses 
the upper and lower 4 bits of each output 
byte to represent the values of 0-9. Therefore 
we can represent a value from 00-99 with one 
byte of data; more than we need since the 
maximum value into the EPROM will be 63 
for a 6 bit LINKALL. 

The EPROM output goes to U2 and U3, 
74LS47 BCD-to-7-segment display decoder/ 
drivers to drive our displays. The displays are 
7 seg common anode (CA) type displays with 
active low drive on each segment. Note that I 
did not include pin numbers on the 
schematic, only signal definitions, on the 
schematic diagram in the display part of the 
circuit. This gives you the option to use any 
size display you need as long as it is 
common anode type. The resistors limit the 
current in each segment. The other input to 
the circuit is the POLARITY input which is 
used to compensate for LINKALLs that use 
negative logic to drive it's LED display. Older 


type LINKALLs use active low drive while the 
newer Model 4 or 6 use active high drive. 

Tying POLARITY and point A to 5 volts 
makes the display compatible with older type 
LINKALLs with 4 bits. If your older type 
LINKALL is a 6 bit model then the POLARITY 
input gets connected to 5 volts while point A 
gets grounded. Connecting POLARITY and 
point A to ground makes the display 
compatible with the new Model 4 or 6. The 
remaining inputs are + 5 volts DC main from 
the scanner and ground. That does it for the 
circuit description. Simple right? 

CIRCUIT CONSTRUCTION: The circuit is 
not critical since operation is completely 
static. There is not much room inside your 
scanner for the display board so you may 
have to put in a small enclosure and mount it 
outside the scanner if you’re not very 
creative. You can use point to point wiring or 
wire wrap techniques. 

Follow the schematic carefully and clearly 
label each wire lead into the display board for 
connection inside the scanner. If you use the 
display module with an older type 4 bit 
LINKALL then connect the POLARITY input 
to 5 VDC and point A (see schematic) to 5 
VDC. (An old style LINKALL is 6 inches long.) 

If you use the display module with an older 
type LINKALL that has been modified to a 6 
bit then connect the POLARITY input to 5 
VDC and point A (see schematic) to ground. 

If it is going to be used with the newer Model 
4 or 6, then connect POLARITY and point A 
inputs to ground. (The new type of LINKALL 
is 4 inches long.) When completed, there 
should be 8 wires for input to the scanner if 
you are building the display module for a 6 bit 
LINKALL; otherwise there will be 6. Make the 
wires long enough from the display box so 
that they may be connected inside the 
scanner. Also protect the integrated circuits 
from electrostatic discharge when handling. A 
grounded soldering iron and ESD strap to 
ground would be ideal when constructing the 
display board. 


LINKALL UPGRADE 
PARTS LIST 


U1 2716 (programmed EPROM) 

see address below for availability 
U2-3 74LS47 

Rl-2 100-kQ Vi-w 

R3-16 220Q l /4-w 

C1 -2 1 uF/16v (most any type will do) 

DISP1 7- seg digital display, common anode 

DISP2 7- seg digital display, common anode 

Wire 
Enclosure 

One 24 pin IC socket 
Two 16 pin IC sockets 
connectors (as needed/desired) 


i/i6/96~2:t/t r.\f~ The “World Scanner Report” © 1991-96; Volume 5, No 9; Page 4 







20 MHz OSCILLOSCOPE 
FOR $100 ? 


Radio Shack’s 1996 catalog pg 125, 
sports a 20 MHz Oscilloscope for $100. 
The catalog says “ available Nov 30, 1995 ” 
but as of Jan 1, 1996, the “ProbeScope” 
still wasn’t in the stores. RS personnel 
say “anytime now”. Well, this one looks 
like a real hotdawg, so keep an eye out. 

Basically, ProbeScope is just a small 
probe with an LCD display module on its 
side, but (and get this!), it also plugs 
into a COMport on a PC to turn the 
display into a huge oscilloscope. 

ProbeScope comes with Windows and 
DOS software on disk, probe and cable, 
to allow a laptop or desktop PC to view 
waveforms and voltages on the monitor; 
and to store, and print them. 
ProbeScope also has a digital voltmeter 
mode of operation. Sounds cooooool\ 

Readers will recall from the back issues 
were we presented Radio Shack’s and 
AGA Associate’s PC Interface Multi¬ 
meters (V5N3). Believe me, these kinds 
of tools are awesome for the shack and 
shop, so the coming ProbeScope should 
be no exception. Regular o’scopes start 
at $500. They’re also big, bulky, and not 
the easiest instruments to operate. 

The ProbeScope should be ideal for 
many electronics bench needs from audio 
and stereo up through RF at CB 
frequencies or thereabouts. Lots of 
scanner uses and especially digital 
applications! Maybe even useful in a 
home-brew spectrum analyzer !! 

O’scopes have long been priced out of 
reach of most hobbyists but arc standard 
fare on the serious electronics bench. 
ProbeScope could open doors for you! 



That‘s right! From Canada, where these 
Fine, cellular-capable scanners are still 
legal. There appears to be no Customs 
or legal hassles for private mail order 
deals, according to US scannists who 
have purchased so far. Prices are great! 


PRO-2006: *US$379 (CAN$529) 
PRO-43: «US$360 (CAN$499) 


Durham Radio , the Canadian supplier 
says that supplies of the PRO-2006 and 
PRO-43 may be limited, so early orders 
are advised. They are not sure if supplies 
can be replenished. For more info: 

DURHAM RADIO 
350 Wentworth St. East, Unit 7 
Oshawa, Ontario CANADA L1H7R7 
Voice: 905-436-2100 FAX: 905-436-3231 
Email: durhamnet.com 


FREE S&H (regular ground) until end 
of January ’96. Fast UPS also available. 


ED Note: Foreign shopping is not a 
complex matter anymore, especially from 
Canada. You may wish to check with your 
credit card company in advance to ensure 
they will honor the transaction, and to 
verify exchange rates cmd currency> 
conversion fees, if any. 




They said it couldn’t be 
done, and they’re right. 
sort of You cannot pop 
the case of a PRO-2035 
and clip or add a diode 
to unleash the cellular 
bands. They ’re not there. 


You can, however, yank the micro¬ 
processor chip from the Logic/Display/ 
CPU board and replace it with one for 
the European PRO-2035 for lull 
coverage of the 800 MHz spectrum! 
Replacing that wretchedly tiny surface 
mount 100-pin chip is a lot easier said 
than done, however! But it is “doable”... 


The timid and faint of heart have a much 
more lucrative option, however. Just 
replace the entire Logic /Display/CPU 
board with the European version by 
disconnecting a few cables; removing 
four screws, etc, and be done with it in a 
matter of minutes. No sweat! 


So where do we get a European CPU or 
Logic Board for our PRO-2035’s? I 
should think one likely source to be the 


equivalent of Tandy’s National Parts 
Center in Europe, but so far. I’ve been 
unable to locate that facility. However; 
there is a hot little company in England 
making a good name for itself by being 
up to date and johnny-on-the-spot with 
all the latest in scanning and short-wave 
listening technologies. 

Javiation, and its proprietor, Jonathan 
Clough, have limited quantities of both 
the CPU and the Logic Board for the 
compleat PRO-2035. Latest known 
prices are as follows: 

GRE-9410 CPU £35.00 or 

PRO-2035 Logic Board £ 89.00 

Javiation is a wide spectrum supplier to 
the hobby radio market, so visit their 
WWW homepage and order a catalog: 

Javiation, Jonathan Clough 
Carlton Works, Carlton Street, 
BRADFORD; BD7 IDA; UK 
Voice: (+44 1274 732146) 

Fax: (+44 1274 722627) 

Email: info@javiaton.demon.co.uk 
CompuServe: 100117,535 
WorldWideWeb HomePage: 

http://www.demon.co.uk/javiation/ 

ED NOTE: I asked Jonathan about 
delivery and availability. He replied: 

'The PRO-2035 is no longer available here in 
Europe as it did not meet European EMC 

standards and could not be imported into 
Europe after the 1st January 1996. Any 
imported prior to that date can be sold until 
gone but as far as I am aware RS have not 
brought any in for 6 months or longer. As 
such 1 am not sure how long spares such as 
CPU's, (boards), etc will remain available.” 

ED: I asked Jonathan about the new 
PRO-2042 and cellular possibilities. 

I suspect the '2042 is the same as the '2035, 
ie CPU differences. The PRO-2042 also failed 
EMC testing so is not approved. 1 had 
assumed that RS brought the PRO-2042 out 
for 2 reasons (at least); one to answer the US 
critics with regard to PRO-2035 deficiencies 
and at the same time manufacture to a 
standard that would comply with European 
EMC standards. Seems I was wrong. As to 
whether it will eventually arrive 1 can't say. 

The only "RS badged" base (scanner) to pass 
EMC testing is the PRO-2039, and that had 

to have its BNC socket removed-only 
antenna socket is via the telescopic one that 
screws into the top.” 

CONCL US ION: A European CPU or 
Logic Board will put cellular in your 
PRO-2035 without compromise. 


1/16/96 - 2:01 PM ~ The “World Scanner Report” © 1991-96; Volume 5, No 9; Page 3 















DISPLAY HOOK UP: Always disconnect AC 
power from the scanner when removing the 
cover. Observe ESD precautions. You will 
have to drill a hole through the back of the 
scanner to feed the wires from the display 
module to the inside of the scanner. You may 
even want to add a connector to the back of 
your scanner and feed the signals through it. 
This will make things look more professional. 

Lets start with the address lines A0-A5 into 
the display module. Since we will no longer 
be using the Block display LED's on the front 
panel of the scanner, this might be a 
convenient place to remove wires and 
connect to the A0-A5 inputs. If you are using 
this display upgrade, you MUST NOT use the 
original LED's for Block display. It's one or 
the other. Use info below as your guide. 
Remove the LED drive wires one at a time 
from the front panel LED's and connect as 
follows: 

AO — lo — LED1 DRIVE —»»rightmost Block LED 
A1 - lo - LED2 DRIVE 
A2 - to - LED3 DRIVE 
A3 — to — LED4 DRIVE 
A4 - to - LED5 DRIVE ** 

A5 - lo - LED6 DRIVE ** —»» leftmost Block LED 
** indicates only for 6 bit LINKALL. 


NOTE: The key word here is left and 
rightmost Block LED's. Please don't include 
the status LED 

NOTE: LED drive refers to the lead on the 
led that is driven by the LINKALL module 
address output inside your scanner. The 
other lead on the LED is a common and no 
connection should be made to it. A way to 
identify the LED commons is physically 
look at the LED wiring. If you see a 
common wire bus bridging each LED, these 
are not the wires to remove and connect to 
the display module. If you have an 
ohinmeter you can buzz the wires to the 
LED's to identify the common _ 

DO NOT disconnect the drive wire to the 
STATUS LED; it will be used. The unused 
LED's can be used for other purposes. Now 
the last two connections: power and ground 
inputs. If you have a PRO-2005/6 then you 
can pick up the main +5v from CN3 Pin 2. If 
you have a PRO-2004, then you can pick up 
the +5v from CN504 Pin 5. The +5v 
connections may have to be spliced into an 
existing wire. The ground can be picked up 
from any shielded can or box in the scanner. 

If you are installing a new LINKALL and this 
display you may want to still use the LED's in 
addition to the digital display. In this case the 


A0-A5 of the display inputs can be connected 
in parallel with the address inputs of the 
SRAM 1C you are installing. In other words, 
the LINKALL will be driving the address 
inputs of the SRAM 1C as well as the address 
inputs of the Display Upgrade module. The 
corresponding wiring would be as follows: 


Display Input 

AO _ . 

SRAM 1C address Inputs 

All 

Ai _ 

_ _A12 

A2_ 

A13 

A3--- 

A14 

A4 

A15 * 

A5 

A16* 


* Only apply lo a Model 6 LINKALL with 128K x 8 SRAM | 

OPERATION^ If all went well and you wired 
everything correctly it’s time to power up! Due 
to the increased current demands of the LED 
display, the internal power transformer may 
not handle this to well. You may want to use 
an external 12 VDC 1A power pack 
compatible with the scanner in place of 
directly plugging your scanner into the AC 
outlet. Plug in your power pack and connect it 
to the DC input of your scanner. 

Turn the scanner power on. Switch the 
LINKALL into manual mode and reset to the 
Home Block or Block 0. A zero should be 


1/16/96-2:01 PM- The “World Scanner Report” © 1991-96; Volume 5, No 9; Page 5 



























displayed. Next, increment the Blocks one by 
one to see if the numbers on the display 
make sense. If so, you’re done. If not, well, 
START BUZZIN!!! If the numbers appear to 
count down then the POLARITY signal is 
wired wrong. If it is connected to ground then 
connect it to 5 VDC. If it is connected to +5v 
then connect it to ground. If things still look 
funny then ensure point A is connected 
correctly. This should cure all problems. If no 
display appears, then check the +5v input 
and connections to and from the decoder 
IC's. Check that the anodes of the 7 seg. 
displays are wired to +5v. 

CONCLUSION: All sources for parts and info 
are included at the end of this article. If you 
have any problems, give me a call or drop me 
a few lines via e-mail. I wish you success 
with your display upgrade. 

If you have an EPROM programmer, I will 
send you the binary of the U1 converter code. 
Otherwise, the chip is available per below. 


LINKALL INFORMATION & RESOURCES 


11 Converter: $8.00 (includes US S&H) 
Money Orders only please. Any Questions 
you may have I will gladly help. 

William Manganaro 

15 Tulip Court 

Moriches, NY 11955-1901 

Phone: 516-878-8697 (after 7 PM EST) 

E-mail: 73510.23740 CompuServe .com 

CompuServe: 73510,2374 

Scanner Modification Services & LINKALL 
Information; Send for catalog of services. 

Mark Persson 
1369 Lombardy Blvd. 

Bay Shore, NY 11706 

All Parts for project 

DigiKey Corp. 

701 Brooks Ave. South 
P.O. Box 677 

Thief River Falls, MN 56701-0677 
(800) 344-4539 


ADMIN NOTES FROM CINDY 


Some wondered what happened to your last 
two issues for 1995. In a nut shell, we’ve 
had a few health and other crises that threw 
us into a real tailspin. As I have told some on 
the phone we don’t guarantee that any issue 
will come out on a specific day of the month, 
but we do guarantee 5 issues for a half-year 
sub, 10 issues for a one-year sub, and 20 
issues for a 2-year sub.. FYI: 

V5N8 was mailed on 12/8/95 
V5N9 expected mailing on 1/17/96. 
V5N10 expected mailing on 1/31/96 


To those of you who have expressed well 
wishes. Thank you very much. Your 
understanding and patience is 
appreciated. We apologize for the 
delays, and for any inconvenience this 
may have caused. 


CE-232 SALE PRICE EXTENDED 


Speaking of inconvenience, our sale on 
the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface 
expired on 12/31/95, but many of you 
might have not had the opportunity to 
buy since our last few issues were late. 
Soooooo.. if you still want to make the 
purchase, I am taking the liberty of 
extending the sale price of S149.95 until 
January 31, 1996. ( Please don’t tell Bill) 
Just send your order to my attention or if 
you place an order by phone, ask for me 
and I will extend the sale price for 
you. our special readers! 

Again, thanks to all our subscribers for 
your continued loyalty, well wishes, and 
for having your subscriber number handy 
when you call! Cindy Cheek , Admin 


MODIFICATION WORK 


Many of you have inquired about 
COMMtronics Engineering and Bill 
Cheek performing modification work to 
your scanner. At the time we were 
overwhelmed with repairs, mods, and a 
host of other work and could not take on 
any more. However, we are happy to 
report that we can now perform some 
technical services again. We have 
discontinued repair work. but can 
modify clean, neat and basically 
unaltered radios. Estimated costs for 
most commonly requested mods include: 

♦Restore Cellular to base and handheld scanners, 

(restorable models only) ea: $ 50.00 
♦MOD 16a: 6,400, 12,800 or 25,600 memory 

channels w/6 switches, ea: $250.00 
♦MOD 16: 1,600, 3,200 or 6,400 memory channels 
w/4 switches, ea: $ 175.00 
♦Install CE-232 internal to your radio, ea: $100.00 
♦Install CE-232 in external metal box 

(you wire scanner), ea: $ 100.00 
♦2 nd & additional scanners wired/tested at same time 
for CE-232, ea: $ 85.00 
Return UPS-ground Shipping & Handling 

for base scanners, ea: $ 15.00 
Return UPS-ground Shipping & Handling 

for handheld scanners, ea: $ 10.00 

* Exact specs depends on your scanner. 

If you arc interested in other 
modifications not listed above, please 
inquire. In any case, if you would like us 
to perform 44 magic” on your radio, you 
can contact us by any of the several ways 
shown at the top of Page l. 


FROM THE READERS 


WEATHER FAX ON A FAX MACHINE? 
From: Bob Senkmaier, Algonac, MI 
Dear Bill: Would there be any simple 
way to print shortwave FAX weather 
images on my Samsung FAX machine? 
I have a Yaesu 8800 radio with line level 
audio output. Could it feed tones into 
one of the 4-color phone wires in my 
house? Is my subscription run out yet for 
the WSR - renew immediately if so. 

ED RE PL Y : Cindy sez your sub is good 
through V5NJ0 (next issue). Good 
question on the use of the fax machine 
with radio fax signals. I doubt that it 
would be easy or intuitive, but the way I 
would approach it would be to prepare a 
phone-line pair with an RJ-11 plug on 
one end to connect to the fax. The other 
end should be fed with the secondary of 
an audio isolation transformer, (RS 273- 
1374). Take a sample of the receiver's 
audio output and feed it into the primary 
of the transformer. (1 think you will need 
amplified audio , not line level.) 

Residential phone lines are 2-wire, so if 
you think you ha\>e 4- 
wires, one pair is Line 1 
(usually red & green) 
and the other pair is 
Line 2 (yellow & black). 

Traditional 4-wire flat 
phone cable for two 
lines uses the middle 
two wires for Line 1 and 
the outer two wires for 
line 2. This applies to 
the RJ-11 modular jacks 
and plugs, too. The above diagram 
shows the pinout of a female jack: 

Then make sure a fax signal is on the 
radio and mess around with starting the 
fax machine. That's where you're on 
your own, because 1 don't use that kind 
of a fax and don't have the foggiest idea 
of what it takes to manual start and stop 
receive fax sessions. 

If you are going to mess around with fax 
and phone lines much, I'd recommend 
Radio Shack's Phone Line Tester, 43- 
104 that takes the guesswork out of line 
polarity, showing: correct, reverse, or 
not operational. The Radio Shack book, 
INSTALLING TELEPHONES, 62-1060 is 
full of good information, too, and is 
highly suggested for wannabee 
phreakers, line specialists, and radioists 
who need to tap phone stuff.. 


Black 



FEMALE RJ-11 
FRONT VIEW 


1/16/96 ~ 2:01 PM ~ The “WorldScanner Report” © 1991-96; Volume 5, No 9; Page 6 























1. 

SURGE 

& 

SPIKE 

PROTECTION 



From: Brian O*Brian, Sterling Heights, MI 
Bill, I’ve called your BBS a couple of 
times and per your request for 
suggestions for articles, I have a strong 
desire to understand voltage protection 
or surge protection. What device is it 
and how does it work? Thanks 

ED RE PL Y : ‘Nuther good question. 
You 're really asking about protection 
against voltage surges, transients or 
spikes, and EMI/RFI, and it would take a 
book to do these subjects real justice. In 
fact, there are entire books! I may do a 
future article, but let the basics suffice 
for now. Surge, transient, and EMI 
protection for computer and radio 
equipment is an important issue! 

A surge is a “slow” but “lengthy” 
increase or rise in line voltage. Note 
how the lights momentarily dim when 
you turn on a powerful motor in your 
house? That's a dip, but a surge is much 
the same thing, except opposite. Surges 
last anywhere from a few milliseconds to 
a second or more, and can be 10%-100% 
of the normal line voltage. Surges are 
dangerous to all electronic equipment 
and difficult to prevent or protect. 
Surges are usually caused by accidents 
or heavy industrial machinery in the 
neighborhood, but solar and 
geomagnetic disturbances can also 
cause them.. 

Transients or spikes are extremely short, 
picoseconds to microseconds in 
duration, and very high in strength, 
sometimes several thousand volts or 


more! You cannot perceive transients 
like sometimes with surges. They come 
and go without your ever knowing it. 
Transients are caused by distant and 
nearby lightning strokes: certain kinds of 
heavy machinery; arc welders; and there 
are unknown causes. Transients are not 
especially dangerous because almost all 
electronic equipment has some 
protection, enough to minimize the 
effects, but transients can rip through 
solid state equipment and wreak havoc. 

Radio Frequency Interference and 
Electromagnetic Interference is more or 
less continuous; rarely dangerous; 
usually manmade; and typically causes 
annoying performance in radio 
receivers. Special techniques are 
required to eliminate it, both at the 
source as well as at the receiving end. 

Most variety and hardware stores sell 6- 
outlet “surge and spike protectors” and 
I suppose these work, especially for 
spikes. Unless you 're willing to go to 
great expense and trouble, surge 
protection is elusive and uncertain. 
Read all the fine print on any such 
protectors you buy. 

Transient and spike protection is cheaply 
and readily available in the above 
mentioned 6-outlet strips and in a 
variety of other forms. Just a coiled line 
cord will knock a transient from 
dangerous to tolerable levels. 
Capacitors across the lines can shut 
spikes to safe levels. A special kind of 
zener diode called a metal oxide varistor 
(MOV) is a very effective guard against 


spikes. MO Vs are being replaced by 
apparently even more effective devices 
called TransSorbs or transient voltage 
suppressors. (TVS). There are several 
ways to install TVS, one shown as MOD- 
11 in Vol-1 of my Scanner Mod Handbk. 
Since TVS's come designed for a specific 
operating voltage , you have to be sure to 
order the right kind for the desired 
circuit. Protection for a secondary 
circuit of a 117-vac power transformer 
that steps the voltage down to 12-vac 
before converting it to DC, would look 
something like this, using a single 775/ 

Transient 

Voltage 



PRO-2004/5/6 and PRO-2035/2042 

The above TVS, for most base scanners 
should be rated at about 20-volts 
breakdown. The DigiKey part number 
would be P6KE20CAGICT-ND and costs 
under a buck in low quantities. 

Filters to prevent RFI/EM1 emissions are 
available from DigiKey, but most 
electronic equipment is fairly well 
filtered already. The 6-outlet protector 
strips mentioned above pretty well stop 
ENII/RFI from entering or leaving 
through the power lines. 

Surge protection is tough and we 'll save 
that for another time, but again, the 6- 
outlet strips may help a lot. 



1/16/96-2.01 pm~ The “WorldScanner Report” © 

1991-96; Volume 5, No 9; Page 7 



Subscriber No. 


iiiyfri’F'lB' 

NAME: 


|USA RATES shown: Canada add 25%; Olher Foreign +50%-Air 


SB OH 






1991-94: any one year set-10 ea $30.00 


STREET 




1991-92: first two years, set--20 ea $40.00 






1993-94: second two years, set-20 ea $40.00 


CITY: 

STATE: 

ZIP: 


1991-94: all four years, set-40 ea $75.00 

EMMi 

Work Ph: ( 

) - Career or 



World Scanner Report CURRENT SUBSCRIPTIONS 

* 


) - Profession 



First or second Half Year — 5 ea $20.00 

ITYPE OF SCANNERS » 



One Year — 10 ea $35.00 

*_! 

& Other Radios » 




Two Years — 20 ea $65.00 


METHOD OF Check 

PAYMENT » □ 

Cash M.O. Visa MstCard COD (+ $8.50) 

□ □ □ □ 

Amount tncioseo 

$ 

BOOKS & OTHER PRODUCTS 

Scanner Mod Hndbk, Vol-1: $17.95 + $4.00 S&H * 

1 

Credit Card 


Amount Charged 

Scanner Mod Hndbk, Vol-2: $17.95 + $4.00 S&H * 

$ 

Acc*t No: » 

- 

$ 


Ultimate Scanner ( Cheek3 ): $29.95 + $4.00 S&H * 

$ 

Name of 

Expiration 


/ 

Scanners & Secret Frequencies/ $19.95 + $4.00 S&H * 

$ 

Issuing Bank 

Date: 


/ 

* Canada US$9 S&H; Other Foreign US$11 S&H; all add extra tor Air 

$ 

Signature Required (for credit card purchases) 


■m 

CE-232 Interface Kit: $194 95 + $5 S&H; All Foreign add $10-surf 

$ SALEI 




VISA | 

Hertzian Intercept BBS Subs: $8/mo $15/3-mo $25/6-mo $40/yr $75/2-yr 

$ 

X 




HOBBY RADIO BUYER'S DIRECTORY $14 95 ppd. surf 

$ 

What else to tell us? 


Calif addresses: add 7 25% sales tax to all orders except subenptions 

$ 

U $ FUNDS PAYABLE TO: COMMtronhs Engineering 


TQTALTHtS ORDER: 

$ 




























































ROLL YOUR OWN COMPUTERS? 

From: Anthony Hcncghan, Marion, IL 

Dear Bill: I am very interested in the roll 
your own computer. A detailed article would 
he best for those who want to get on with it. 
A detailed article is my first choice, and a 
series of articles would be my second choice. 

From: George Kunraszcwicz, Detroit, MI 

Dear Mr. Cheek, In response to your article 
on “speaking of computers: Roll your own?” 
in V5N7 in the WSR, I would like to see and 
read several articles written on the subject. 
This includes on where to get the computer 
together other than from Radio Slick and 
Computer Town. The articles should include 
where to get service manuals and other 
computer information. Thank you. 

ED REPLY : To Anthony & George: Tunis 
out, this IS a popular topic! I have some 
other material to chum out first. But if you 
want a head start, I wrote a 4-part series on 
building and upgrading computers for 
“Monitoring Times ”, Nov, Dec, Jan, & Feb 
issues. After I get the fallout from that series, 
I'll spnice it up for the ffSR here. 

WHINES-GRIPES-ACCUSATIQNS 
From: David Corwin, Greenport NY Bill. 
'Blanks for the return of the balance of my 
subscription to the WSR. You asked why I 
was not satisfied. Well! I am trying to figure 
out whether you are all hype or there is some 
substance to any of your claims. I have not 
read any of your books so I will reserve 
judgment. I must again say I am disappointed 
in the World Scanner Report. I have seen 
one other rather long message on the Internet 
that pretty much articulated my complaints. 

The two issues I received had virtually 
nothing of value except schematics of a 
listening device that was cloaked in secrecy. 
'Ilie promise was that the microphone and 
amplifier circuit was going to be tied in to a 


scanner at some point in a later issue. 
Similar circuits have been published in 
Popular Electronics. Nothing new here. The 
story reputed to have been written by a 
woman about here husband's devotion to RF 
monitoring-so what. There just wasn't 
anything there. The schematics of the circuits 
could not be followed because of the poor 
quality of the reproduction. You have got to 
be kidding about the World Scanner Report 
and its value. The latest issue of Monitoring 
Times had modifications to restore two 
scanners. This is supposed to be your forte. I 
will look forward to die issue you are sending 
at no cost maybe it will change my mind. 

ED REPLY : I doubt this issue Mill change 
your mind and I am not inclined to try, 
because I am from a very unique school of 
two-way people. One-way people “diodes’’ 
turn me off. I don’t want their patronage. I 
can’t afford it! Accusations, attitudes, and 
sniping can go somewhere else, where 
proprietors build the cost of fiddles and 
shrinks into their prices to cover the “cost”. 

I will address some of your potshots for the 
benefit of our loyal 2-way readers who are 
supportive of what we do and why we do it. 
First, value.... it’s in the eye of the beholder. 
The IVSR has value for many people, but if 
you see none, keep your money. I don't want 
it. I can 7 please all the people all the time; 
just some people some of the time. 

The articles by Janet Cravens were of 
general interest, perhaps none to some, but 
clearly appealing to the wives of many of our 
subscribers. I never guarantee each article 
to please everyone. Some people liked Mrs. 
Craven ’s articles, but those who didn 7, 
certainly understood that not everything in 
e\>erv issue is supposed be of special interest. 

The reproduction of our schematics is always 
of readable quality. It’s possible the post 


office destroys some copies, and perhaps out: 
quality control drops off once in a while and 
escapes attention. We are always happy to 
replace inferior or postal-damaged issues. 
Notable that you didn 7 ask.... 

IVhat you saw on the Internet was from a 
rabble-rousing trouble-maker, green with 
envy of my accomplishments and position in 
the community. He shoots in the blind with 
no concern for truth or for what is fair and 
right. He is a 32 nd Degree Snotball who 
would welcome you for an ally. The poor 
fellow’s demeanor is utterly without merit. 

My “listening device ” has never appeared in 
print anywhere, and there is nothing close to 
it in terms of quality that has ever been 
published, as far as I am aware. 

Thanks to the LAW, “restoring” scanners is 
a thing of the past. There is only a handful, 
anyway, that ever had cellular possibilities, 
and they have ALL been covered in the press, 
most here. Cellular hacking is gone and this 
is NOT a cellular-hack newsletter, anyway. 

Whether I am hype or substance is something 
to which I never make claim or allusion. 
Others decide that for themselves. You are 
welcome to make your own judgment. 


WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? 


Professor Peabody returns next issue with a series of 
interesting hacks and improvements. A couple of 
mods for the PRO-26 are in the offing. Maybe the 
PRO-62. We will continue with the series of 
Technical Descriptions of the PRO-2004/5/6 and 
PRO-2035/2042 series. But folks, I gotta tell ya, 
scanners mods and hacks are becoming fewer and 
farther between. We’ve pushed Uie envelope about as 
far as it can go. 

I don't mean for that to sound sinister; it’s not. But it 
does mean that the focus and the slant of the WSR has 
to take a little change of course. Scanning and all of 
radio, for that matter, are on the brink of change. 
Hobby Radio is changing. But there is excitement in 
the wind. More on that soon. TIME TO RENEW? 



I960106V5N09P08 


SOME RENEWALS COMING DUE SOON - CHECK YOUR LABEL 


»■ Super Snoop Surveillancer Unit- The Exciting Conclusion! 

+ MOD-30 Radio Shack Event Counter back in stock! ~ RS Toolkit on sale 
+ RS 20 MIIz Oscilloscope Coming Soon! 

+ PR0-2006 & PRO-43 still available! (Yes!) 

*- Resource into on Durham Radio, Inc. 

+ PRO-2035 Cellular Modification (Yes!) ~ Resource into on Javiation, Inc. 
*- Upgrade LINKALL Project - Numeric Block Display! 

+ CE-232 Sale Extended for WSR Subscribers 
f WeatherFax on a fax machine? ~ Surge & Spike Protection 
• Whines-Gripes-Accusations ~ What does the future hold in store?